The Oak Park Farmers’ Market’s annual Corn Roast returns this Saturday, Aug. 10. Celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week by enjoying fresh-picked corn from Market growers sold by the ear hot off the roaster from about 9:30 a.m. until supplies are gone. Patrons are encouraged to bring cash to the event as credit cards are not accepted when purchasing corn, which will be sold for $3 per ear. The Farmers’ Market takes place from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Oct. 26 in the Pilgrim Church parking lot at 460 Lake St. The Market features more than 25 vendors offering fresh produce, meats, cheese, eggs, baked goods, breads, flowers, honey, hot artisanal cheese sandwiches and grains from working farms in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. More information is at www.oak-park.us/cornroast24.

With the Democratic National Convention taking place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, Village officials are preparing for potential tourism and public safety impacts that could arise as a result of the high-profile event taking place a few miles from Oak Park. The Village is working with county, state and other regional partners leading up the convention. Impacts for Oak Park residents could include increased travel time to and from the city during the convention. A list of answers to frequently asked questions related to the 2024 DNC are posted on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/DNCfaq.

The Village is planning to host a workshop for Oak Park renters this fall and is seeking feedback from anyone who would be interested in attending to help determine what subject matter would be most helpful and preferred dates/times for the in-person workshops. A brief survey is now posted on the Engage Oak Park website – click here to take the survey. For more information, contact community@oak-park.us.

The Village is preparing to implement a user fee of 25 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electric vehicle charging stations owned and operated by the Village. The new user fee will be effective Aug. 26. Officials say the fee will help ensure the long-term financial viability of the Village’s charging station network while also providing a sustainable path forward in the effort to expand access to charging station infrastructure, particularly for residents without access to private parking facilities. More information is available at www.oak-park.us/EVuserfee.

The Village Avenue Garage was a featured stop Tuesday during a cross-country journey in an electric vehicle. Daphne Dixon, Executive Director of Live Green Network, departed from Connecticut on a cross-country trip to raise awareness of the capabilities of electric vehicles. Coming from Hammond, Ind., Oak Park was chosen as a stop for Dixon and her team this week thanks in part to its 13 publicly accessible EV charging stations, and because it was the only community to earn a coveted gold designation in the first cohort of communities to complete the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and ComEd EV Readiness Program last year.

The Village hosted Mayor André Dora of Datteln, Germany on Wednesday for a full day of activities culminating in a panel discussion with Village President Vicki Scaman at Village Hall. The panel discussion, moderated by Oak Park resident and community leader Linda Francis, opened with a traditional German welcoming of dignitaries and a signing of the “Golden Book.” The discussion centered around the promotion of peace and unity within communities, especially in spaces that have been historically divided. Oak Park resident Alan Hoffstadter, who traced his family's roots to Datteln, also participated in the panel. More information about the visit is posted at www.oak-park.us/8724visit.

The Fire Department celebrated the completion of Firefighter/Paramedic Ryan Graff’s end of his one-year probationary period during a swearing-in ceremony Monday at the main fire station. Firefighter Graff is a third-generation firefighter as his father and both grandfathers served in Bolingbrook.

The Village once again plans to participate in City Hall Selfie Day on Aug. 15. The annual celebration of public services showcases pride in local government institutions and is organized by the Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL). All Village staff is invited to participate:

1. Take a picture of yourself, with a friend, with a group, or with a community member in front of or at any Village of Oak Park facility.
2. Use the hashtag #VillageHallSelfie when posting the photo to social media.
3. Tag ELGL on social media: @ELGLNetwork on Facebook, @ELGL50 on Instagram, @ELGL on LinkedIn, @ELGL50 on X (formerly Twitter), or @localgov on TikTok.

Village employees are also invited to send photos via email to vopnews@oak-park.us and the Communications team will share them throughout the day on the Village’s social media platforms.

Oak Park residents looking to achieve a healthy lifestyle are eligible to participate at no cost in comprehensive programs offered by West Cook YMCA that nurture the spirit, mind and body. The community programs include West Cook YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program and Weight Loss Program. Free enrollment in the programs for residents is funded through a partnership with the Village made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act and also includes a membership to the West Cook YMCA for the duration of the program. For more information contact cdp@westcookymca.org.

The Oak Park Area Arts Council is hosting a ribbon cutting for the latest mosaic mural produced by the teens who participate in Off the Wall summer arts employment program. The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. this Saturday, Aug. 10 in the parking lot at the southeast corner of Madison Street and Harvey Avenue, will celebrate the new mosaic mural installed this summer as an ode to the auto dealerships that lined Madison Street in the 20th century. A reception will be held in the Park District of Oak Park’s board room at 218 Madison St. following the ribbon cutting.

Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce representatives and Village staff participated in a ribbon cutting this week for Oak Park’s new Moon Gift Shop at 832 S. Oak Park Ave. in the Southtown Business District. Pictured here with the scissors cutting the ribbon is business owner Summer Chen, who also owns the Luxury Nails Spa right across the street from Moon Gift Shop. For a full list of new Oak Park businesses, please visit www.pickoakpark.com/newbusiness.

Anfora Wine Merchants, located at 128 S. Marion Street in the Pleasant Business District, has been named by USA Today as one of the 10 Best Wine Shops in America. Anfora earned the No. 3 overall ranking on the list, which was selected by an expert panel and voted on by readers. Business owners Malika and Adrian Weisll and Rose Madeja-King have grown their business into a respected operation and are to be commended for achieving this national recognition.

Visit Oak Park’s latest blog post offers suggestions for individuals and families looking to plan a summer picnic outing in the Oak Park area. The blog post also mentions various items that can be purchased from Oak Park area businesses to help support picnic fun. Some businesses featured in the blog from Oak Park include Anfora Wine Merchants, Carnivore, Olive & Well, Publican Quality Breads and Sugar Beet Food Co-Op.

Water & sewer improvements – Water & sewer repairs are ongoing at two separate locations in the Village. On Linden Avenue, the contractor anticipates completing the utility and roadway improvements before early September. Meanwhile, sewer improvements began earlier this week on South Boulevard at Kenilworth Avenue. Pressure testing for the new water main on South Boulevard will likely occur early next week. Traffic control remains in place around both sites. Affected residents have received parking passes.

Street resurfacing – The Village’s annual street resurfacing project is scheduled to begin next week on Clarence Avenue and Kenilworth Avenue. Saw cutting and tree protection will occur this week, followed by curb removal. A total of 11 streets are being resurfaced this year with the project expected to continue into early November.

Lot 10 construction – The new colored concrete crosswalk was scheduled to be poured this week. The contractor is working on adjusting existing structures on North Boulevard and Forest Avenue prior to resurfacing the roadway. Landscape restoration will begin at the center island of the parking lot next week.

Austin Boulevard sewer improvements – Pavement work under the viaduct is complete on Austin Boulevard between North Boulevard and South Boulevard. The contractor removed the traffic control barriers earlier this week. The remaining work at Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard will be scheduled in the next two weeks.

Madison Street improvements – The contractor is working on patching the trenches for the water main and street lighting along Madison Street. Installation for the new street lighting along the south side of the road is in progress now that the layout for the new light pole foundations is complete.